Festivities, family and perhaps a little romance? Here are five ways to make sure your Christmas proposal is a memorable one.

Written by Keelie Briggs, The Clued-Up Bride.

Ahh Christmas. The twinkling tree in the corner, the smell of mulled wine filling the house and the stockings lying in wait on the fireplace. You’re probably enjoying cosy nights in watching Christmas films (or if you’re like me, the Royle Family Christmas specials). It’s the perfect time to show your partner how much you care and give them a gift that will change their life forever!

Now, the big question – how will you do it? And how do you propose at Christmas? Here are a few ideas that will guarantee a wonderfully romantic Christmas proposal.

UNDER THE MISTLETOE

Turn a good old-fashioned mistletoe kiss into a moment that will transform your relationship. Sometimes keeping it simple and all about the love is the best way to commit your lives to one another. How you celebrate your news afterwards, can be a totally different story!

PASS THE PARCEL

Some women can sniff out a ring box within seconds of entering the same room as one. Don’t give the game away too soon! Wrap your ring up, then put it in a larger box and wrap that up too. Do this several times with a fun note after each layer like ‘fooled you’ after the first layer, then maybe a ‘try again’. You can let your partner open the last box and drop to one knee as they do, or you can make the last note ‘now pass the parcel’. You then open and present the sparkly ring to your eagerly anticipating other half.

AT CHRISTMAS DINNER

Don’t go sticking a ring around a brussel sprout! And no dropping it into the bottom of a glass of wine – major choking hazard! Instead, once the dinner is served and before anyone starts tucking in, ask if you can say a few words. Make sure you let your partner know how important they are to you and tell them why you want to spend the rest of your life with them, then pull the ring from your pocket and drop the major question. This one works well whether you have a lot of guests over for Christmas dinner, or if it’s just the two of you.

ESCAPE THE CHAOS

If your house turns into a bit of a free-for-all Christmas day and you’d pictured an intimate proposal with just the two of you, tell your future fiancé that you need five minutes out and ask if they will join you on a little walk. Get wrapped up warm and go and have your special moment away from all the noise. Then, you can come home and add to the celebrations with your exciting news.

NEW YEAR’S EVE

If you don’t want to imagine a year where you don’t have your partner by your side, tell them so. From when the new year countdown starts, you have eight seconds to tell them how much you love them and how next year will be a new chapter in your love story. When everyone else reaches two, ask “will you marry me?”. Your new wife/husband to-be will love telling work mates how the whole world celebrated your engagement with rapturous applause and explosive fireworks.

BONUS TIP

Share your secret plans with someone who will be there on the day. They can have a camera at the ready and you can look back on that precious moment for years to come. This is one of the reasons it’s important to plan ahead and look your best when you pop the question – those photos and videos will be around for a while! We’re not saying you have to be in a suit (especially if you’re planning to propose somewhere a little more casual), but something you feel comfortable in that works with what your other half is wearing.

Merry Christmas and happy proposing!

Keelie is passionate about helping brides and grooms have fun with their wedding planning and make great decisions with their budgets.  For more big day advice, money saving tips and DIY ideas visit TheCluedUpBride.co.uk or follow her on Instagram and Facebook.

Something borrowed, something blue?

Bold blue wedding suits are an on-trend choice for big day style, but we also know that not just any blue will do.

That’s why we’re redefining rentals with our edit of blue tails and lounge suits from some of the world’s best brands. In contemporary new shades and sharp fits, they’re available to hire exclusively at Moss Bros. and sure to make an impact as you head down the aisle.

L-R: Ted Baker Blue Morning Tails, Ted Baker Lounge Lizard Blue Suit

For traditional tails with a twist, look to Ted Baker’s version in a bold blue hue. A classic nuptial look made modern with a one-button design and a sharp, tailored fit, it’s the perfect marriage of style and formality.

Or why not tie the knot in Ted’s 3-piece Lounge Lizard suits? Crafted from wool-rich yarn in a tailored fit, they’re an effortlessly smart choice for stylish wedding days. It’s available in classic blue or try it in faded blue for a fashionable affair.

L-R: Ted Baker Lounge Lizard Faded Blue Suit, French Connection Blue Lounge Suit

Fashion-conscious couples looking for serious style should turn to French Connection’s bright blue 3-piece lounge suit. Cut in a close-fitting slim fit and featuring fashionable peak lapels, it’s the perfect choice for blog-worthy big days.

Whatever you’ve got planned, hire a blue to suit your ‘I do’s’.

Newly engaged? Congratulations! Now you’ve got the perfect reason to pop some champagne and celebrate with your nearest and dearest before the planning for your big day begins.

It may be early days in your planning, but for most, thinking about what you’re going to wear is a good place to start. At Moss Bros., we’ve helped men look their best on their big day for decades, and recently we’ve noticed a big shift in the way men want to look and feel when they get hitched. The formality of very traditional weddings has become less popular, with many couples instead opting for much more relaxed celebrations and wanting their outfits to match.

That’s why the Moss Hire collection has evolved for 2017. We’ve taken our heritage in tailoring expertise and matched it with contemporary new styles and fits.

Brand new for 2017, Moss Hire now includes Moss London lounge suits in our skinny fit, ideal for grooms after a fashion-forward look. Cut close for a sharp silhouette and available in a range of on-trend blue hues, they’re the modern way to do formal and a key trend for weddings this year and next.

Designed to offer a variety of styling options, the new Moss London lounge suits are available in shades from vibrant bright blue, to elegant peacock blue and a cool, contemporary ice blue with features such as fashionable peak lapels and effortlessly smart one-button jackets.

We’ve also expanded our edit of guest brands, with Ted Baker’s popular Lounge Lizard suit updated in crisp, faded blue as well as two new slim fit French Connection options in bold blue or a sophisticated new silver wool-blend.

L-R: Ted Baker Lounge Lizard Faded Blue Suit, Moss London Ice Blue Lounge Suit, French Connection Silver Suit

The new Moss Hire range also includes new tweed jackets and waistcoats as well as modern dinner suits and a fantastic new range of ties and pockets squares.

For now, why not start planning your big day look with our new lookbook or arrange an appointment at your nearest store to view the new pieces in person?

So you’re tying the knot? First things first: congratulations!

Now that the courage and shock are out the way, you’ve got to actually start planning the big day. The thing about planning a wedding is it involves making some pretty big decisions, so it’s no surprise that most of us are a little unsure of where to start. That’s where we step in: at Moss Bros. we’ve helped generations of men get properly dressed for their wedding so have the know-how and experience to make sure you’ll look and feel amazing up at that altar.

We understand that every wedding is different – there’s no one-size-fits-all approach anymore. First, you need to decide if you’re going to hire suits for you and your groomsmen, buy new ones or treat yourself to an extra special suit. Here, we’ve outlined the different services we offer to help you pick the one that’s right for you and get one job off the list.

We’re afraid you’ll still have to work out the dreaded table plan yourself, though.

HIRE

Our hire service is the best choice if you’re going for a traditional wedding or need to kit out lots of groomsmen while keeping an eye on costs. Our Group Hire service also means you can get your Best Man and ushers sorted even if they live in different parts of the country – all order details are kept together on your account and you can arrange for delivery across our network of stores. We’ll even kit the groom out for free in parties of four or more.

A wide range of suits means there’s sure to be something to fit your style – from traditional tails with a twist by Ted Baker’s Tails from the Unexpec-ted collection to our timeless but contemporary Moss 1851 suit and on-trend blue lounge suits.

READY-TO-WEAR

If you have a smaller wedding party to dress or simply just want to wear your own suit for your big day, ready-to-wear is the way to go. More traditional tastes will be comfortable in our elegant Moss Esq. regular fit suits, while we’d recommend our Moss. 1851 tailored fit suits for those after refined style with modern detailing.

Looking for something a little more trend-led? Our Moss London suits come in a skinny fit with sharp lines and fashion-forward fabrics – ideal for a slick urban wedding. Or choose from our hand-picked selection of brands including DKNY and French Connection. We can even have your suit tailored for you to make sure the fit is perfect and you look just as good as your other half.

There are always great deals across our ready-to-wear collections if you buy more than one suit, so why not use the opportunity to buy a great new suit for your Best Man too and thank him for all his help in the lead up to your special day?

TAILOR ME

If there’s any day that calls for a truly special suit, it’s your wedding day. There are few feelings quite as great as standing proudly in a suit that’s been made especially for you and our Tailor Me service lets you personalise your suit right down to the last detail. Made to the fit of your choice, you can stamp your unique mark on your suit with over 297,000 combinations of fabrics, linings and finishing touches. This is your day to push the boat out a little (assuming the theme of the wedding allows it) so be bold with a brighter fabric, add colourful contrast stitching at the cuffs or pick a lining that compliments the shade of the bridesmaids’ dresses.

Our tip? Have the names of you and your partner embroidered on the inside with the date of your wedding for a special memento of the day.

If you need a hand deciding which is the best option for you, come to one of our stores and talk to our Tailoring Experts. As the name suggests, they really know their tailoring and are on hand to help you and your groomsmen look amazing on the big day.